Present Mirth
by Zail
Summary: Reposted: Cloud goes to Midgar. XD Pregame era. Cloud x Sephiroth, RufusReno to follow eventually. 3
1. Welcome to Midgar

PRESENT MIRTH

Chapter One (the second chapter to be written in actuality.)

* * *

Author: Ravensthief (with Reno's help :SMIRK: ) 

Rating: This chapter is rated PG because all the R rated stuff is next chapter…

Genre: Final Fantasy VII. Romance/humor YAOI! Which means Cloud and Sephiroth playing "Let's find your materia slot" at indecent hours of the day and night. :evil grin:

I apologize to the innocent materia users who are offended by that comment. I'm sorry.

no not really.

Plot: YES WE HAVE PLOT NOW:small minions rejoice: o/ o/ o/

As a matter of fact, if this story had any more plot, I would go into the real estate business. It's there. It's just well hidden. 0.o

* * *

"What is love? 'Tis not hereafter;

Present mirth hath present laughter;

What's to come is still unsure.

In delay there lies no plenty,

Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty;

Youth's a stuff will not endure."

Shakespeare: _Twelfth Night_

(Act II, Scene iii, "The Clown's Song")

* * *

The trip from Nibelheim had been hell for Cloud. Even now, he couldn't seem to make his stomach stop twisting and turning. When he closed his eyes it got a bit better, but the other recruits on the bus from Junon Harbor hadn't been much help. The kid sitting next to him with purple hair had insisted on striking up a conversation, and although Cloud normally liked meeting new people, he was shy enough to wish he would just leave him alone. He ran one hand through his blonde hair shakily, glad to be off the bus and on the ground, but fervently wishing the world would stop spinning in the wrong directions. 

"Shape up, here, CADETS!" The SOLDIER in charge of their bus shoved the last boy into line and cast his steely eyes down the row. He had dark orange hair that stood out at all angles, and Cloud wondered if all SOLDIER's adopted strange hairstyles. Maybe it had something to do with the mako?

Cloud lifted his chin and stared straight ahead, as all cadets were instructed to do. He didn't blink as the SOLDIER paced down the line, looking each boy in the face.

"Well, what a fine group of young girls we've brought in this time. Eh, Jikal?" The SOLDIER chuckled to his partner, a tall man with long brown hair, tied in a ponytail, who gave a broad, toothy grin and stared at the young recruits dangerously.

"Where's this batch from again?" Jikal asked, brushing an imaginary piece of dust off of his SOLDIER uniform languidly. Both men had smooth muscles that rippled under their clothes as they moved, reminding Cloud of some of the wild cats that roamed the Nibelheim mountains.

"You, boy! Answer!" Jikal nudged a boy from Cloud's hometown with the barrel of his rifle.

"Nibelheim, Sir."

"Eh? Where's that?"

"Near the Golden Saucer, Jikal. I know you've been there!" the orange-haired SOLDIER snickered and winked, both completely ignoring the cadets for the time being. Cloud swallowed. His head was still spinning, and the foul air here in Midgar was making it hard for him to breath. He closed his mouth and let his eyelids droop, concentrating on inhaling and exhaling in rythm, The scent of mako was strong, a lot like the smell of freshly dug earth, except more... pungent.

"All right, kiddies. Let's get you decontaminated and that outside dirt out from under you fingernails." The first SOLDIER barked, startling Cloud slightly. The man swung one arm in the direction of the barracks.

"Let's GO! MOVE YOU PANSIES!" he barked, and the cadets ran off, double file, the two SOLDIERS pacing behind at their own speed.

* * *

The showers were pretty much a tiled room, with sprinklers in the ceiling to rain hot (or cold, depending on where you were lucky to stand) water down upon the new cadets. Cloud looked around a bit nervously, but many of the other boys had already pulled off their clothes and thrown them into messy piles that littered the floor. A door at the other end of the showers opened, and another large group walked in, these ones looking distinctly different in appearance than the recruits from the western mountains. They were paler, and had a tougher air about them, as though they were long used to having to live life on their own.

A boy standing next to Cloud, who still hadn't moved to remove any of his clothing, nudged him with his elbow.

"Wutaians. Look at their eyes." He said knowledgeably, and Cloud noted that these boys had eyes as dark as a night sky, that revealed nothing when you looked into them. He thought they were rather fierce in appearance, although the tallest was only about three inches taller than himself.

"How far away is Wutai?" Cloud asked, as the two groups mingled under the falling water. The boy next to him grinned.

"Other side of the world, mate."

"Oh."

The blonde boy watched in silence for a moment, before a sharp slap to the back of his head sent him spinning.

"How now, boy? Don't want to get clean?" The orange haired SOLDIER was watching him carefully and Cloud looked around in consternation. He hadn't wanted to be singled out.

"No, sir! I was getting in, sir." He said, unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it on the ground. The SOLDIER grinned and turned and walked away. Harrassing people was the best part of his job, in his opinion.

The water wasn't as cold as Cloud had thought it would be. And it actually felt really good on his bare skin. He leaned his head back into the jets of water, and ran his fingers through the spikes of his hair. He wished he had a peice of string of some sort to tie the longer peices back with, but his hair tie had been in his pants pocket and it looked like the SOLDIERs had already taken "care" of their clothes, meaning that they were no where in sight. A brief thought flashed through Cloud's mind and he wondered if he would have to live the rest of his career as a SOLDIER, half-naked, and he smirked.

"This way cadets! Through those doors, and Gyter has new dresses for you all." Jikal shouted, and through the open doorway, Cloud could see the orange haired SOLDIER standing next to piles of blue and silver uniforms. He shook the last of the water out of his hair, and stepped with the other boys into the next room.

* * *

The tunics and trousers were separated into different sizes, and Cloud had no problem finding ones that fit him right. The boots were a bit large for him though, and he tightened the laces as much as he could to try and get them to stay on his feet. Then they moved on, into a third room as big as the last two, where two hassled-looking class-three SOLDIERs were sorting luggage into piles and assigning barracks. Five boys to a room, three rooms to a suite, and four suites to a floor with one commanding officer for each suite and floor. Cloud stood in one of the lines to retreive his duffel bag and then they were sorted out into groups of roomates.

He was paired with another first year cadet, a tall skinny boy with long green hair and a pair of laughing green eyes who introduced himself as "Fallon" when Cloud could make out his thick Midgar accent.

Apparently two of the other members of their suite were older and weren't present in the first-year orientation. That left just one more, Cloud mused, looking around for his third roomate.

The doors at the far end of the room banged open and two SOLDIERs marched in, dragging a boy between them, twisting and struggling to the center of the room, as everyone else froze at the loud noise to turn and stare. Cloud got a glimpse of fiery red hair and flashing turquoise eyes before the SOLDIERs shoved the boy to the floor and sat on him to subdue him. One of the SOLDIERs first-class stepped forward.

"What's going on here? Weland? Nikolas?" the dark-haired man snapped with an air of authority and the SOLDIERs saluted. Well...the best they could while sitting on the uncooperative prisoner, anyways. Cloud noted.

"Not a problem, Zack." the one named Weland spoke up with a grin. "Boy just didn't like 'is new assignment. 'hat's all." he smirked at his partner who poked at the trapped boy with a smirk. Cloud could hear a muffled string of curses coming from the boy, but he didn't recognize any of the words. The SOLDIER named Zack nodded.

"Ok, get off and let's 'ave a look at 'im." he ordered and the SOLDIERs got off with remarkable speed, which was well enough, because the boy was almost as fast, fists swinging. Cloud noted that his skin was paler than the others, a native of the city. His clothes looked it too, they were the synthetic fabric that ShinRa manufactured and sold in Midgar, bright colors, but cheap. The boy wore baggy black trousers that looked far too big for his slender frame, though he had enough muscling to fill out the sleeves of the loose blue hooded sweatshirt he wore that said "ShinRa Happens" on the front in grey letters. High cheekbones denoted a trace of wutaian ancestry and his hair was coarse but extraordinarily straight, so it stood out around his face in spikes and fell down his neck in a short ponytail. Crimson brows were furrowed together in anger over the brightest green-blue eyes Cloud had ever seen.

"What's your name, boy?" Zack asked, and the red-head swung his head around to fix that softly glowing gaze on the broad shouldered man.

"Reno." he spat, crossing his arms on the front of his chest and straightening up to look older. Which would have worked, had he been taller than five and a half feet.

"Last name?"

"Didn't need one before, and unless you're proposing, I sure ain't gonna take one from you." Reno gave a one-sided grin and the green gaze swept arounf the room, fixing on Cloud for a second before moving on.

"Mr. Reno." Zack said in a dry voice, stepping forward, "I'm interesting in hearing why you're here. Particularly since you seem to be more trouble than you're worth... Jikal, Nikolas, let's have a look at his necklaces."

Cloud blinked in confusion as the two SOLDIERs stepped forward and grabbed the boy's arms behind his back, Zack reached out and yanked down the collar of the boy's sweatshirt. Next to him, Fallon leaned over to whisper into Cloud's ear.

"The necklaces are for past offenses. ShinRa puts them on those in the slums to save on keeping track of them with paperwork." he explained. Zack curled his fingers around the lengths of chain around the boy's neck. Six necklaces, three blue, two yellow, and one red.

"Well well well... Mr. Reno. Red, yellow, and blue. You're like a bloody festival, aren't you?" Zack drawled, his steel grey eyes meeting the angry aqua stare unblinkingly.

"Nevertheless, someone up there decided you were too potentially useful to execute or lock away, so I guess you're here to stay." the SOLDIER turned on his heel, leaving Reno standing with his arms still held behind his back by his two guards.

"Give him his belongings and stick 'im in his room." Zack ordered, "Let's finish this up. GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY MAKO-FEEDERS." he barked, and the room once again became a flurry of movement.

Cloud turned to Fallon questioningly. "What do the different colors mean?"

"Blue is for getting caught selling or running illegal weapons. It's pretty much one of the three career tracks available to those in the slums. Yellow is for selling drugs or black-market substances such as materia."

"And the red?" Cloud asked curiously. This sounded all so foreign to him, coming from his sheltered life in the mountains of Nibelheim.

"Prostitution." Fallon said over his shoulder, turning to pick up his luggage and head off to their room.

Cloud widened his eyes in surprise, and shot a quick look at Reno, who was shrugging off his guards and stalking over to pick up a worn brown sack. Then he grabbed his own suitcase and followed Fallon up the twelve flights of stairs to their room.

* * *

The first-years were given the rest of the day to settle in, and so Cloud and Fallon made their bunks and unpacked their luggage while talking a bit about their home town. The door swung open to admit two tall boys who gave friendly greetings and dropped onto the two lower bunks near the windows.

"'Ello chaps." the dark-haired one smiled at the curious look Cloud gave him. "Name's Myat, Cadet third-year. And this here is my friend Rasakan. He's only in his second year, but we're in most of the same classes." he gestured at the chestnut-haired boy leaning against the bedpost, who flashed a grin and looked up with light grey eyes. "I guess we're your roomates. Which, let me be the first to say, is excellent, since the last three boys were _total_ sticks. Never any fun, always arguing..." Myat shook his head sadly.

"Not like us at all, right Rasakan?" he nudged his friend in the ribs and they grinned at each other.

"So where are you two originally from?" Cloud asked, jumping off his upper bunk to put clothes into the large chest at the foot of the bed.

"Fort Condor." Rasakan said, leaning over to drape one arm over Myat's shoulders. "And Myat's from Mideel. He's training in the medical track of SOLDIER, see?" the auburn-haired boy reached one hand down Myat's shirt and pulled up a chain with a 'restore' materia dangling from the end, the mark of a healer.

"What are you going for, Rasakan?" Fallon asked, he seemed to be hiding a smile behind his hand and Cloud looked at him curiously.

"Military Strategy." the boy shrugged, "You?"

"I'm applying for"

Just then the door flew open on its hinges and all four boys looked up in surprise. Reno stared back, his face expressionless. Then he grinned.

"Hello 'vrybody." he gave a jaunty wave and launched his sack onto one of the top bunks. Cloud smiled at him a bit shyly while Fallon waved a greeting and Rasakan and Myat just looked happy to have another extroverted roomate likely to cause muschief, from the looks they were exchanging.

Reno whistled appreciatively, running his eyes along the white walls and carpeted floor.

"Nice place. I didn't realize ShinRa could make a place with white-washed walls and running water..." he whistled, "I bet they were afraid they might get too clean building it, though..." Reno smirked, standing on tiptoe to touch the lampshade hanging from the ceiling.

"It's real." Fallon said with amusement.

"Excellent." Reno smiled, then winced, clutching his side. Myat raised an eyebrow in concern.

"You o.k.?"

"Yeah... Just wish those thugs hadn't hit me so hard, that's all..." Reno groaned, pulling off his sweatshirt and the tunic beneath it to reveal half a dozen fist sized bruises sprinkled along his sides and abdomen. Then his eyes lighted on Myat's materia.

"Hey... mind if I borrow that?" he asked, reaching out one hand. Myat shrugged and handed the glowing green ball over to the red-head.

"Thanks." Reno said, closing his fist around the materia and his eyes grew unfocused as he manipulated the spell. A glowing light filled the room, and then he opened his eyes. The marks on his skin had faded to nothing, and Cloud blinked at the effectiveness of the spell in the hands of a beginner. Obviously at least one of those yellow necklaces had been earned for illegal materia possession, he surmised. Reno seemed to have sensed what Cloud was thinking, because he turned to look at him.

"You can learn a lot of stuff in Midgar. This would be worth at least 800 gil down below. Here." Reno tossed the materia back to Myat and ran one hand over his now-healed torso appreciatively, then he yawned widely and the brightly sparkling green eyes grew dark for a moment.

"And now I think I need some sleep. G'night gentlemen." the redhead muttered and climbed up into his bunk and lay face down. Fallon looked at Cloud as if asking his opinion on their newest roomate, and the blonde shrugged indifferently. He had to admit, Reno was a bit of a loose canon, but there was something about the boy that made Cloud think he wouldn't mind getting to know him a bit better. He allowed himself a small smile as he finished storing his new textbooks. Maybe he'd even get to know him well enough to call him a friend.

Down below, a horn sounded and Myat and Rasakan leapt to their feet.

"Dinner!" they yelled, running out the door and down the long flight of stairs at breakneck speed. Fallon watched them go with consternation and then shrugged.

"Well, if they trip and die, it's not my fault." he said with a twisted smile, and Cloud gave a small laugh.

"Ok, let's go." the green-haired boy said, walking out the door. Cloud looked back and decided he'd try and bring back some dinner for Reno, then he followed his new roomates at a run.

* * *

Classes began the next day, though only after morning routine. Cloud was thankful that he was relatively used to hard labor, because otherwise the lap around the upper plate might have seemed excruciating instead of merely impossible. As it was, he trudged to his first class utterly exhausted, but happy he'd finished soon enough to have time for a shower before "Introduction to Materia" at 0900 hours.

His other two classes, "Modern Weaponry 101" and "Molecular Biology 101" were not until later in the afternoon, and he had plans to get together with Rasakan, Myat, and Fallon for lunch. He had invited Reno to join them, but the slender redhead had declined, saying he'd rather use his break to get a look at the city 'above the plate'. Cloud had told him that cadets weren't allowed to leave the SOLCIER compound during the week without a day pass or a superior officer, but Reno had just laughed and told him he'd get him a souvenir. Cloud still wasn't sure to make of the Midgar boy. The other three roomates were open and friendly, teasing Cloud about his girlish figure and pretty face, but still light-hearted. Reno was dark in a way Cloud could not describe.

Once Cloud had seen him come into the room when he was lying on his bunk, and the red-head didn't seem to know he was there, because he unbuttoned his tunic and stood in front of the mirror, playing with the six lengths of chain that wound tightly about his neck. He had watched the turquoise eyes flash in anger and annoyance, but the necklaces would not come off, nor break. He was humorous in an outgoing sort of way, but he didn't talk much about himself, and he spent a lot of time on his own.

The rest of the time, Cloud spent following Rasakan and Myat around. They showed him where all the best places to go if you wanted quiet were, or vice versa. Undoubtably, Cloud's favorite spot was the gyms. He was in awe of the upper-class SOLDIERs with their various weapons, Cadets wouldn't start training with weapons for another couple weeks, until the last of the new recruits had been whipped into shape. But that didn't keep the boys from watching enviously from the sidelines as the older Cadets and SOLDIERs practiced. Fallon preferred the projectile weapons, but Cloud's fascination lay with the swords. So much so that Rasakan would teasingly remove all table knives from his vicinity when he sat down to eat.

The SOLDIER Zack that Cloud had seen on his first day was also the SOLDIER in charge of their floor, and he would stop in every once in a while to make sure they hadn't destroyed their room or each other. He had a wide grin every time he saw Cloud, and all the cadets liked him immensely.

There was one more thing that had surprised Cloud since his arrival, perhaps because he hadn't expected everyone to be so open about it. It was obvious that there were none, or very few women in SOLDIER.

At least, Cloud hadn't seen any yet. He had asked Zack about it once, when the SOLDIER had stopped by their dorm to share a bottle of booze he had brought back from the slums, illegally of course.

"Why are there no girls in SOLDIER, Zack?"

"None have been strong enough yet. Or they go into highly specialized fields and so pull themselves above us poor lot who must fight and die just to make any worth of our lives." the grey-eyed man had laughed, seating himself on Cloud's bunk and taking a swig of his bottle.

"But then… Don't the men get lonely?" Cloud had asked.

Zack laughed. "There are a lot of ways to fight off loneliness, my boy. Female companionship is just one of them." Cloud had looked at him in confusion until the dark haired man winked and cocked a thumb in the direction of Myat's bunk, where the two boys had fallen asleep curled up together.

Cloud had blushed but he didn't say anything, and Zack had left soon after, with a teasing piece of advice for Cloud to get himself a boyfriend before he too became lonely, which only made him blush the more.

The third week of training came and passed and little by little, Cloud began to feel that loneliness set in. A part of his mind began to wonder whether or not Zack's advice was to be trusted… without discussing it with the rest of his brain, of course.

* * *

Zack sat at the officer's table in the noisy cafeteria quietly. Normally he was at the center of the chaos, his wicked sense of humor making him the bane of dinnertime peace and quiet, but today he was tired.

The first month of new recruits always drained him of energy. Maybe it was just the concentration of 15 year old exuberance that wore him out... No... not wore him out, just made him want to do something more disciplined for a few hours.

He wasn't old! Zack snorted at the notion. He was twenty one, and in top form. There was no question of him succombing to old age, just a faint knowledge that he would be harder pressed for sleep that night with a few hundred new recruits in the barracks.

He tilted his bowl up and gulped the last of the broth with relish, nearly choking as a heavy hand descended on his shoulder.

"Zack! How are you?"

The grey-eyed man replaced his bowl safely on the table and looked up with a grin.

"Evening, Raniel. I'm doing fine. You?"

"Couldn't be better if someone'd bought me a gift certificate for the HoneyBee." the older SOLDIER grinned and seated himself at the table next to Zack. "I've just been for a chat with the general." Raniel remarked and Zack raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And how is Sephiroth tonight? I noticed he didn't come down for dinner."

"Indeed. The General looks rather worn out. He was asking for you." The man leveled Zack a knowing look, and the black haired man allowed himself a small smirk.

"Is that so?"

Raniel shrugged. If Zack wasn't going to talk about why the General always acted so strange at regular times a month, then he was smart enough not to pry. He sat in silence while Zack chewed on a crust of bread thoughtfully. Finally, the black haired SOLDIER spoke up.

"Look Raniel, do you see that boy over there?" Zack pointed, and Raniel turned to follow his line of sight.

"The blonde?"

"Yes. What do you make of him?"

"Well…" Raniel squitned, "He's a bit small. Too skinny to be much good at the moment, but I bet he's fast."

Zack smirked. "Indeed. Do you think he is suitable?"

Raniel began to answer, and then froze, fixing a solemn eye on his friend.

"I know you, Zack. What are you up to?"

Zack shrugged innocently. "Nothing, just answer the question. Do you think he's suitable?"

"Yes." Raniel said bluntly.

"But for which purpose, is the real question." Zack lowered one eyelid in a wink at his companion and Raniel shook his head.

"He's so young!"

Zack narrowed his eyes dangerously. "This is life. This is SOLDIER. This is ShinRa. We do what we must. We do for thems that do for us. We protect our friends and screw our enemies. None of it is fair. Don't ask me why I do what I do or how I know what I know."

Raniel looked at him sadly, but he nodded at the truth of Zack's words.

"Now. Go tell that boy General Sephiroth needs him. And don't breathe a word of this to anyone." Zack said quietly, placing his napkin on his tray. Raniel gave him one last look and then rose. Zack watched him stroll over to the boy's table and lean down to whisper in his ear. The boy looked startled but he managed a hasty salute.

Zack didn't watch any more. He picked up his dirty dishes and returned them to the stacks of trays waiting to be emptied by the kitchen staff. Then he yawned, stretched, and went to the gym to train with his Buster sword.

* * *

Reno: Better, from a male point of view. But I do wish you had made me sound like less of a teenage punk from the slums. 

Jack: But, you are a teenage punk from the slums!

Reno:frowns:

Cloud: It's o.k., but I think there needed to be more fighting. :grins:

Reno: Hear hear!

Jack: or…. how about a lemon:smirks:

Cloud: or… how about more swords:puppy eyed:

Reno: Nice try kid, but that doesn't work on her. It only works with Sephiroth. :evil grin:

Cloud: hmmm…. :thinks: Sephiroth! Come give the author puppy eyes so I can get a sword!

Reno: that's not what I meant… .

Jack: No no… This is fine….

* * *

Ok! This is the second time this story has been published. And this is also the original SECOND CHAPTER, but the first chapter chronologically. If you can figure that out… ;; If you read the second chapter first, which is the order I wrote them, then you already know that the next chapter is a HARDCORE LEMON WITH NO PLOT. yay. go me:grins: Unfortunately, Chapters of that nature are no longer permissible on Therefore, I will have to either edit/external-link to chapter 2. I shall think about it. XD 

I once had 100 reviews for this story. :shakes fist: Curse you

There MIGHT be typos in here. Let me know if there are. I R teh Razy. College will do that to you. grar.

If you are reading this chapter for badass Sephiroth, then be happy, because he's coming up next. If you think that Sephiroth is badass AND evil and you want to be like him, then do the right thing, and hit the tiny button in the lower left that says "review". Trust me, it's really a big red button that says "Summon Meteor" and you'll be doing the best thing for mankind.

You know you want to.

_Jack Dawkins_


	2. Sleeping with the General

PRESENT MIRTH

Author: RaVeNsThIeF (a.k.a. Jack Dawkins)

Genre: Final Fantasy VII fanfiction, Humor/romance/drama, **LEMON THIS CHAPTER! YAOI!**

Pairings for this chapter: Sephiroth x Cloud

Warnings/Disclaimer: This is yaoi, which means "Yummy asian oral intercourse"... no not really. But in essence, yes. n.n;;; Anyways, I do not own Cloud, Sephiroth, or any of the characters from Final Fantasy VII. All characters are being held captive against their will and are being forced to do nasty things to each other in dark passageways. If you don't like this sort of thing, feel free to cast Fire 3 to your heart's content, but be aware that I have my Reflect materia equipped.

Other notes: I don't usually write graphic stuff. I am incapable of reading this chapter without blushing. I love Reno... yessss...

This chapter was also the first I wrote when I began this story, from there it 'expanded'... :shifty glance: This chapter also probably is the reason my story was deleted the first time and my account banx0red. >:( But it has been marked with a mature rating, so you have been WARNED.

** DO NOT PROCEED READING IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH GRAPHIC SEXUAL SITUATIONS.**

I have done all in my power to keep from getting in trouble again without having to cut the 'good parts' out, or go through the hassle of hosting it elsewhere, please do not get me in trouble! >:O

Ok! Read!

* * *

"What is love? 'Tis not hereafter;

Present mirth hath present laughter;

What's to come is still unsure.

In delay there lies no plenty,

Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty;

Youth's a stuff will not endure."

Shakespeare: _Twelfth Night_

(Act II, Scene iii, "The Clown's Song")

* * *

In a room on the top floor of the SOLDIER barracks, a lone man removed his shirt with care. The latest mako injections left his nerves on fire, demanding some form of release, and one he was forbidden by the mad Professor to give himself. Instead, he contented himself with the sensation of the smooth cloth sliding off of his body and onto the floor of his comfortably furnished chambers. His fingers roamed over his skin in delicate touches, too long in one place and the mako sent a wave of pain to his head that made him double over, gasping for breath. 

With a low sigh, the ShinRa general allowed his cramped muscles to relax. The heat of his chambers seemed to spread through his whole body, as though someone had activated a fire materia and unwittingly left it on. Sephiroth gave another low sigh, lying back on his bed; the coolness of the sheets against his bare skin was bliss.

A knock sounded at the door, quiet, yet bold and fast. Sephiroth cracked one sleepy green eye in surprise. It wasn't often that anyone came to his private rooms, with the exception of Zack, to whom nothing was sacred. Even less likely was for one to come so soon after he had returned from Hojo's labs, another round of heathenish mako treatments completed.

"Enter." Sephiroth yawned, resting one hand carefully on his bare torso and rolling onto his side to regard the doorway. He raised one eyebrow curiously at the sight of the young cadet standing there.

"General Sephiroth, sir!" The blonde haired boy stammered, either scared or embarrassed, Sephiroth wasn't sure.

"Cadet?" The general replied smoothly, both emerald eyes unblinkingly roaming over the boy's slight frame. He was short and had a somewhat girlish figure, which was slowly giving way to muscles along his arms and shoulders. Two wide blue eyes stared out at the world with a hint of shyness, and there was absolutely nothing to be done about that **hair,** Sephiroth decided. The boy had obviously tried to brush it into some semblance of order, but to no avail. Bright golden spikes stood out at every angle away from the fine-featured face.

"My apologies, sir." the boy was staring furiously at the ground and Sephiroth found the action rather endearing. He was, after all, only half-nude. And a part of his brain gave an evil smirk at what the cadet might have done had he also been missing his black trousers.

Oblivious, the boy continued,

"I was told to present you with my services, sir."

Sephiroth blinked in surprise, sitting up with a graceful motion, a bit of his calm, controlled façade dropping. It had to be a joke, and if it was, he would kill Zack for it afterward, he vowed to himself. But there was no mistaking the meaning of the cadet's words, even if the boy was not aware of them himself. Sephiroth had to make sure.

"Come here, cadet." he said, pushing a few wispy strands of white hair out of his face impatiently. The boy complied, moving forward to stand about three feet in front of the ShinRa general.

"What is your name cadet?"

"Strife, sir. Cloud Strife."

"I see, Cadet Strife. And who was it that told you to come up here?"

"One of the SOLDIERs sir. He said you needed my services. Was I wrong to come?" the boy looked concerned and horrified, as though he was only just considering that he might have made a mistake.

"No, no." Sephiroth said smoothly, rising to his feet with some stiffness. The mako still causing his body to cry out in need.

"I do require you." He said, slowly, circling behind the cadet, long silver tendrils brushing against the boy's skin and making him flush. Now was the test of sincerity. Sephiroth placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, sliding his fingers over the rough cotton. To his surprise and delight, the boy didn't move, but merely stiffened, as though he wasn't completely surprised by the general's actions. Intrigued, Sephiroth moved his face into the angle between Cloud's shoulder and jaw, blowing air gently against the exposed skin. Again, the boy did not flinch, and the first press of lips against his flesh caused nothing more than a slight exhalation of breath from the young cadet.

Encouraged, the white-haired soldier slid his hands down the boy's chest, unfastening the buckles on his shoulder harness and sliding it onto the ground near his own deserted armor. Three more gentle kisses deposited themselves below Cloud's ear and there was no mistaking the gentle moan that arose, unbidden, from the boy's lips. He wanted it too.

Sephiroth slid his hands under the now-loosened fabric, touching the smooth skin eagerly. Feeling his mako-enflamed senses warming to the challenge. He needed this. It was the only way to counter-act the pain of the treatments effectively. But it was so much better with another person. Someone flesh and blood and living, unlike most of what was in Hojo's labs.

The boy raised his arms as Sephiroth slid his hands up his body, and leaned backwards into the embrace. Sephiroth caught his breath in a low growl. The boy wasn't offering the least resistance as he removed his clothing and dropped it into a discarded pile. There was no mistaking the game now, or the services to be rendered.

With a sudden movement, the general stepped away, leaving the boy standing, naked, next to his bed. But it was only for a short while, while he divulged himself of the rest of his clothing. The boy's eyes grew wide, but he did not move away as Sephiroth once more took him into his arms. This time, their lips met and the white-haired man pushed his tongue into the younger boy's mouth swiftly, controlling the kiss even as he pressed the boy's body against his own. It was good to see that they were both aroused, his hands sliding over the strong back and down to the slender waist. Despite the boy's willingness to the task, he doubted he had had much experience with this sort of thing before. Not anymore, that is, than one would expect living in the SOLDIER barrack's with hundreds of other lonely men.

The boy was gasping for air and Sephiroth let him go, but only long enough to push him backwards onto the bed. The boy gave a cry of surprise as he lost his balance, ending up pinned under the older man, unable to move. Sephiroth slid his body along Cloud's, hearing the sharp intake of breath, feeling the boy's body tense and arch beneath his. He allowed himself a small smile, even as he guided his fingers down between the boy's thighs, playing with the tender skin.

Cloud gasped, his body having trouble registering the many signals racing through his senses. He had never done this before, though he knew in his mind how often he had allowed his thoughts to stray along this path. Of what it would be like to be touched this way by another man, by him. He sighed, opening his mouth to Sephiroth's probing tongue, sucking on it gently, feeling the strong lips move against his. The hand between his legs grasped him gently, sliding up and down methodically, until his breathing became erratic and his eyes fluttered open in pleasure, meeting a pair of heated green ones that seemed to bore into his very soul.

"Ah! AaH!" Cloud shuddered, his body reaching climax under Sephiroth's steady touch. The boy's thin body pushed up against him desperately, hips bucking in orgasm. Sephiroth didn't stop his hands, fingers sliding along Cloud's length until the last of his climax had been reached and he spasmed under the touch.

"Please…" the whisper came, begging for the intense sensation to stop, and Sephiroth complied, grinding his hips against the boy's waist instead, feeling the sticky sweat running between their bodies. Cloud's sky-blue eyes were filled with tears and Sephiroth bent down to kiss at the corners of his eyes gently, feeling the blonde-haired boy wrap his arms around him and burrow his head into his shoulder as if seeking protection. Sephiroth allowed himself a fleeting smile at the vulnerable motion, running one hand through the blonde spikes caressingly. But the mako was still in his system, sending impulses to his brain and he tightened his grip on the boy's waist involuntarily, refraining himself from following his urges and hurting the young boy. But he couldn't take it much longer. He needed release.

"Cloud... I need…" he rasped out through clenched teeth, eyes closed, and Cloud looked up in surprise at the tone of the general's voice. Then his eyes widened with understanding. Sephiroth rolled onto his back, his skin sensitive to each feather-light touch. Cloud looked hesitant and afraid, but he moved to the end of the bed smoothly, crawling between Sephiroth's legs and opening his mouth to take him in. Sephiroth cried out in pleasure at the sensation of a warm hot mouth closing about him. His fingers buried themselves in Cloud's silky hair as the boy's head bobbed up and down along his length. The motion was sending him over the edge as Cloud sucked on him smoothly, tongue sliding down the underside of his erection, hands resting lightly on his thighs.

Sephiroth opened his eyes in half-lidded pleasure and glanced down, moaning at the sight of the naked boy lying between his legs, working at him with his mouth, seemingly absorbed in his task. The white-haired general felt his body reaching its highest peak, but he didn't want it to end like this, not with that alluring body kneeling over him, the warm flesh begging to be touched and violated. He gave a low growl and grabbed for the boy, catching him by surprise as he rolled the slender form beneath him. Cloud pressed himself into the blankets as Sephiroth straddled him from behind, the boy's waist fitting nicely between his legs. The general leaned forward, his chest rubbing against the boy's back, as he pushed two fingers into Cloud's open mouth.

"Suck on them." He commanded and Cloud obeyed, though he was afraid. Sephiroth could feel the tenseness in his muscles as his naked body lay helpless beneath him, but he didn't bother to try and comfort him, doubtless his fears were real enough. It would hurt like no pain the boy had probably felt before. Unyieldingly, the general felt the boy sucking obediently on his fingers, before he withdrew them, wet and slippery.

"Hold still." he ordered, and the boy trembled beneath him, but he did not move away.

Sephiroth spread his legs with one hand, finding the tight entrance he was looking for with the other, and pushing his index finger into the hole. The boy cried out and bucked beneath him, but Sephiroth did not relent, merely leaving his impaling finger inside the boy's body until the resistance faded away. Swiftly another finger joined the first and again, Cloud sniffled in pain, but he did not beg for release, and the operation was almost done. Leaving his fingers in the tight space, Sephiroth positioned himself at the entrance, Cloud tensed, anticipating what was about to happen, and then in one swift movement, he removed his hand and pushed himself into the tight entrance. Cloud screamed, his fists clenching at the sheets in desperation, but there was nothing for it now that Sephiroth had mounted him. His feeble struggles only pushed him in further, and soon he gave up altogether.

Sephiroth groaned, leaning low over his lover's back. The heat that surrounded him was incredible. He could barely move for fear the pleasure would send him over the edge too soon. But there was a need growing in his stomach, and the sight of the boy pinned beneath him made him grasp at his hips even tighter as the low rhythm began. At first the thrusts were slow, but as Cloud became accustomed to the motion, his young body loosened further, allowing Sephiroth more room. He slid in and out between the boy's buttocks, until the stronger thrusts made Cloud gasp in surprise, his body arching at the sensation of being filled from inside. The blond-haired boy moaned, his hips catching the rhythm and rising upward to meet Sephiroth's plunges. He could barely see straight, the man moving on top of him made his vision go hazy as something inside of him exploded, making his eyes fill with color. He gave a shaky breath and his body shook, spilling onto the sheets once more, even as Sephiroth groaned again at the new tightness of his body.

"You… are… beautiful." Sephiroth gasped between breaths, his body yearning for release. He couldn't stand it any more, if he didn't reach orgasm soon, he would faint.

And then it came, a mind-shattering climax that shook his body from head to toe. With a strangled cry, the white-haired SOLDIER plunged himself as far as he could into Cloud's warm heat, filling his body. Cloud moaned as Sephiroth collapsed onto him, the heat that exploded in his body felt so right, as though there was no other way to be, but with this man inside of him, claiming him as his own. He twined his fingers in the locks of silver hair that coiled on the blankets. Sephiroth groaned, and slowly pulled himself out of Cloud's body, rolling onto his side, exhausted. Cloud could barely move, but he twined his arms around the man's waist, burying his head into his chest, their legs entwined. Sephiroth blinked one eye open at the feeling of the body next to his, Cloud had his eyes squeezed shut and he looked as though he was on the verge of tears, but he still hugged Sephiroth tightly. The general softened, pulling the young boy against him possessively and kissing his forehead lightly.

"Go to sleep Cloud. There's nothing to be afraid of." he said quietly.

"I'm not afraid." Cloud replied stubbornly, his face pressed against Sephiroth's chest, making the words almost unintelligible.

"Then you are brave. Even I get afraid."

"You?"

"Me." Sephiroth closed his eyes and gave a small smile. He could feel Cloud move to look at him but he didn't open his eyes.

"Why are you afraid?" the boy sounded genuinely curious and Sephiroth sighed.

"Lots of things. War, getting killed, Mako, ShinRa food…" Cloud giggled and there was a moment of silence. "You?"

"I'm afraid I won't get into SOLDIER." now the blonde-haired boy sounded worried and Sephiroth pulled him a bit closer. "I used to be afraid of you."

"Me?" Sephiroth blinked both green eyes open in surprise and Cloud winced, afraid he'd said something offensive. "Why me?"

Cloud shrugged, such a careless gesture.

"You always seemed so far away and powerful. You never let anyone get close to you."

It was true, Sephiroth thought. He never did let anyone get close to him except for Zack, until now…

"And you're not afraid of me anymore?" he asked hopefully.

"Nope." Cloud said with a grin, though his eyes were still shy in meeting Sephiroth's own.

"That's too bad." Sephiroth said with his best frown, "I am a very dangerous person." but Cloud just shook his head.

"No, I don't think you would hurt anyone if you could help it." he said confidently, burrowing his head once more into Sephiroth's shoulder and laying a gentle kiss there before falling asleep. Sephiroth lay awake for a little longer, until the automatic lighting in his rooms flickered off and the only light was the neon glow of Midgar, filtering in through the windows. Then the silver-haired man gave a gentle smile, shook his head slightly in disbelief, wrapped his arms about his young lover tightly, and fell asleep.

* * *

Reno: Eww... what the heck is this? Am I in the right story? 

Jack: Don't worry Red, you'll show up soon enough. :pats:

Reno: Actually... if you don't mind, I'll think I'll be going now... x.x;;;

Jack: Aww... But if you leave now, you'll never get put into the Turks!

Reno: ... ok. But I better not be doing any of that. I'm straight, dammit!

Jack: Not even if it was with Rufus?

Reno: ... nooooo. I don't think you're getting the point.

Jack: You get cool weapons:D

Reno: ...

Jack: And you get to beat up people!

Reno: ...ok…. but only for one chapter. And they better be really cool weapons! Or else... -.-

Jack: Eep! O.O

Reno: ...did you say Rufus?

Jack: yeah... n.n;


End file.
